


Breakdancers

by halcyyonn



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: M/M, Math, breakdance au, dance au, marthaniel - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-01
Updated: 2020-05-01
Packaged: 2021-03-01 23:21:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,269
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23945362
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/halcyyonn/pseuds/halcyyonn
Summary: When a new dancer arrives in the group, Nathaniel can't stop a crush developing almost instantly.
Relationships: Marc Anciel/Nathaniel Kurtzberg
Comments: 10
Kudos: 52





	Breakdancers

There was an energy that filled the room whenever they gathered. It was indescribable, and Nathaniel couldn’t tell whether it was coming from the breakdancing itself, the other people surrounding him, or the building alone. Either way, Nathaniel enjoyed every moment he spent in the redone basement under the streets of Paris. 

Not that he was Nathaniel when he was here. No one used their ‘normal’ names, rather opting for an alias. He went by Evillustrator, inspired by his love of art, Alix Kubdel went by Timebreaker, probably because of the way she seemed to stay suspended in the air whenever she flipped or jumped. Everyone else chose their names with their own reasoning, including the leaders of the group. Ladybug and Chat Noir had matched their names to each other; good and bad luck. 

There were also the few people who changed their names whenever they lost a dance-off, trying to erase their old image and start anew. People like Volpina, who then turned into Chameleon, disappearing for long periods of time between names and appearances. But there were also the few people who were known throughout the dancing world and sometimes beyond, like Ladybug and Chat Noir. 

They had built their reputation through the countless nights of dancing, and the various videos that had circulated the internet. 

While many dancers wanted to be in the spotlight, Evillustrator preferred to stay back from the action more. Few people knew about him outside the other dancers, which was exactly what Nathaniel preferred. It was nice knowing that you could walk up the stairs and back onto the streets, take off your mask and dancing clothes and be a completely different person. Other people, especially Ladybug and Chat Noir. While they could take their masks off, too, there were people constantly speculating about their identities and trying to link people to the dancers. It got tiring quickly. 

In his pursuit of anonymity, Nathaniel ended up standing next to Alix closer to the back of the room more times than not. Not that he minded, but he could tell that people were starting to notice. Alix danced a lot, her blue Timebreaker outfit dotted with tiny pocket watches only adding to the illusion. She was also one of the people that enjoyed the spotlight, even if it was only for a few minutes. 

One night, after Alix had won her last battle for the night and Timebreaker’s win statistics had been announced, Ladybug entered the square in the middle of the room. Chat Noir also appeared, standing on one of the bright white edges that created the dance floor. Next to him was a boy that looked to be Nathaniel’s age. 

His mask covered most of his face, turning half of it white and the other half black. The rest of his outfit followed the same colour scheme, with half of the hood and suit white, contrasting against the black. It was simple and organised, exuding the same vibe as the boy himself. 

“We have a new dancer tonight! His name is Reverser, and tonight he’s going to be dancing against Evillustrator!” Ladybug held everyone’s attention without trying, but the moment the spotlights shifted to shine on the new guy and Nathaniel. Suddenly, he could feel many pairs of eyes staring at him, including Reverser’s.

Everyone knew that the dancers brought to the group by Ladybug were on a level of their own. She was selective with the people she introduced, so everyone wanted to know just how well this newcomer could dance. The other dancers Ladybug had introduced had quickly become some of the best in the group, which was a big legacy to live up to. Maybe if Reverser worked hard enough, he could join the small group of dancers that were close to Ladybug and Chat Noir. Until now, there had only been three others; Rena Rouge, Queen Bee and Carapace, but everyone was trying to become the fourth. 

Nathaniel couldn’t help feel like he was being judged. He was proud of his costume, having made it himself. The costume was mostly made of stretchy fabric, except the mask and beret he was wearing. In the centre of his chest, Nathaniel had three circles of colour; red, blue and yellow, similar to an artist’s palette. Horizontal stripes crossed the top of the costume, before they turned into dark purple pants, which blended into red boots. His hair was the same, with a dark purple beret to finish the artist theme. 

Alix nudged Nathaniel forward with her elbow. “Go on, you actually have to dance tonight. No more getting out of it.”

The spotlight followed Nathaniel as he moved towards the middle of the room. As he walked, the other dancers began to chant his name, the noise growing louder and louder until it drowned everything else out.

When Nathaniel reached the dance floor, he came face to face with Reverser. Silence enveloped the room, allowing Ladybug to begin speaking again. “Everybody make some noise for the Reverser versus Evillustrator dance battle!”

Music streamed out of the speakers, filling the room with the background music from Mecha Strike 3. It was one of the most popular tracks to dance to, especially in this particular group. Everyone put their own spin on it, using the moves that had been common for years, as well as the ones they had created on their own. 

Ladybug stepped back from the dance floor, introducing Reverser as she swept her arm in his direction. “Our first dancer is Reverser!”

Reverser started, barely even hesitating to think about what he was doing. He was a natural, and the entire room was transfixed almost immediately. 

Nathaniel included. He couldn’t take his eyes off Reverser, each movement calling to the artist in him. He couldn’t tear his eyes away from the dancing in front of him. Even though he would be dancing in less than a minute, the only thing on his mind was Reverser’s dancing. 

He moved like the strokes of a paintbrush capturing a landscape, like colours blending together on a canvas. Reverser was almost floating above the floor, landing only to begin his next move or to contort and stretch himself one way or another.

The crowd around them cheered with each move, their excitement growing with each second. Nathaniel knew it would be hard to beat, even just from the first minute of dancing. This was just the beginning, as most dancers saved their best moves for the last few minutes of the battle. The finale was the most anticipated part of the battles in the Miraculous Dance Group. If you didn’t have a strong final move, you had lost the battle, no questions asked. It was practically an unspoken rule at this point. 

Reverser’s minute ended and the crowd cheered as Ladybug shouted over the crowd again, shaking Nathaniel out of his awestruck staring. “Evillustrator!” 

Panicking for a moment, Nathaniel backflipped, landing to the sound of people cheering and stomping their feet. As he danced, Nath was reminded of why he began dancing in the first place, and why he had kept retuning to this exact spot after the first time Alix had dragged him here. This was the indescribable energy he loved so much. 

A minute passed in a blur and Ladybug was announcing the second minute of Reverser’s dancing time. Nath breathed heavily, recollecting himself after the sudden exertion. Despite being in the dancing group for so long, he hadn’t danced enough to be able to jump straight into a backflip without being exhausted afterwards. At least he could enjoy Reverser’s dancing while he recuperated. 

It seemed impossible, but he was even better now. Reverser’s dancing before had been incredible, but now it was magnificent. 

Nathaniel began to prepare for his next minute of dancing. He had to top the last minute, especially since Reverser was so good. It would be hard to beat someone who was this talented. 

The dance battle was drawing to a close and there was only a few seconds left before Reverser’s last minute ended. Everyone watched as he leapt into the air before appearing to float for a few seconds, something he had only seen Alix do before. Clapping and cheering filled the crowd as Reverser flipped again and landed perfectly, pulling his arm back like he was about to throw a paper airplane. 

“Evillustrator!” The crowd cheered one last time the last minute of the battle. Nathaniel stepped forward, but stumbled. Gasps echoed around him as he realised he had completely lost the battle now. He barely managed to make it through the next minute, before looking for chances to disappear back into the crowd. 

Ladybug stepped in between the two dancers, grabbing Reverser’s arm and raising it into the air. “Our winner is Reverser!”

Cheering and stomping drowned out her voice, and Reverser smiled proudly at his first victory in this dance group. It was exciting for any dancer, especially when there was so much pressure from being introduced by Ladybug herself.

As soon as he could, Nathaniel scurried back through the crowd to Alix. She was standing in the same spot they had been before. When she saw Nathaniel approaching her, she threw her arms up. “You did amazing! You should dance more often!”

“I messed up and stumbled in the last minute, though. The nerves got to me!” It was true. He was usually somewhat nervous when he was dancing in front of so many people, but dancing in front of Reverser only magnified them even more. 

“That doesn’t matter. You still did great!”

Nathaniel appreciated Alix’s optimism and support, but he knew that he wasn’t the best dancer in the group. He also knew that Reverser had the potential to be one of the best dancers, even if it was based on nothing but his last move. It was phenomenal. “There’s no way to beat a move like that. Did you see how he floated? I’ve only ever seen you do that!”

“You should ask him to teach you the move. Then you’ll be unstoppable!” The second she suggested it, Alix started to grin. It was a familiar grin, one that said she was planning something.

“I don’t want to bother him, he’s probably going to be busy.”

Alix narrowed her eyes at Nathaniel. The grin on her face only got wider when she realised what was going on. “You have a crush on him.”

“No, I don’t!” Nathaniel could feel his face going red. He tried to cover his face, but it was already too late.

“You definitely do, I can see it on your face. Don’t try to pretend otherwise.” Alix laughed, enjoying his embarrassment slightly. “Just talk to him, I’m sure he won’t mind.”

Nathaniel looked over at Reverser and blushed. “What if he refused to speak to me?”

“I have a feeling he won’t. Come with me.”

Alix dragged Nathaniel towards Reverser, pushing through the crowd until there were only a few people left in their way.

“This still isn’t a good idea, Timebreaker.”

“You need to stop doubting yourself so much. You’re an incredible dancer, and I’m sure Reverser would be happy talking to you.”

Reverser turned and started to walk away from the people surrounding him, which meant he was heading straight towards Nathaniel and Alix. It wouldn’t be long until they almost collided, but Nath still wasn’t ready to talk to Reverser. 

“Here’s your chance to talk to him.” Alix stepped closer to Reverser, still dragging Nathaniel with her. “Reverser, hi! Do you have a minute to talk to Evillustrator here?”

“Of course!” Reverser stepped closer to them, raising his voice so he could be heard over the dance battle that was just starting. “You’re an amazing dancer, I really thought you were going to win.”

Nathaniel blushed, not knowing what to say. He turned to Alix for help, but she was gone. He was on his own, not knowing what to say or how to ask Reverser about the dance move. Face red, Nath decided the best way forward was to be as direct as possible. “You definitely had it in the bag with that last move.”

There were so many other things he could say right now, but they had only been speaking for a short amount of time. Most people didn’t like being told they danced like an ‘artist’, especially since they were all breakdances here.

“Thank you! I’ve been working on it for a while, I was really excited to show it off tonight.” Reverser was smiling, his mask shifting slightly. “You have heaps of awesome moves, too, especially all the flips you can do.”

“You dance like an artist.” The second he realised what he said, Nathaniel tried to backtrack. “I’m sorry, that’s probably not something you would want to hear. Especially since you’re a break dancer.”

Reverser laughed, not seeming as offended as Nathaniel first thought he would be. “I don’t think anyone’s ever said that to me before, but I’m more of a writer than an artist.”

“I didn’t think I would be that close to getting it right.” Nath blushed even more, glad things were actually turning out okay. The longer their conversation continued, the more confident Nathaniel became. He didn’t need Alix here to force him to get outside his comfort zone. Talking to Reverser was a good idea, even if he didn’t want to admit it.

“Not a lot of people can pick that, especially because of the mask.” Reverser tapped a finger against the mask that obscured his entire face. From the sound it made, Nathaniel guessed it was some kind of plastic. He also guessed that it must get hot behind the mask, especially with all the dancing.

This was the perfect time to get the conversation back on the topic of dancing. If Reverser was dancing again tonight, there wouldn’t be much time to ask him about the dance move. “Are you going to dance again tonight? I’m sure you could get a name for yourself very quickly.”

“Probably not, I think once dance battle is enough for tonight. There’s still plenty of time to get a reputation in the dance world.” Reverser reached up and fiddled with his mask for a few seconds, moving it around but not moving it far enough to show his face. “And I’m enjoying our conversation.”

By this point, Nathaniel was sure that his entire face was so red that you couldn’t see where his hair started. At this rate, his mind would blank completely and he’d forget why he wanted to speak to Reverser in the first place. “I am, too.”

“Is there somewhere else we can talk? It’s getting pretty hot in here and I should take my mask off for a while.”

“There’s a door on the back wall that leads back up into an alley behind the building, it should be secluded there.” It was one of the places Nathaniel disappeared to himself when everything was becoming a bit overwhelming. Sometimes he just needed space where he could take his mask off and be his normal self again, instead of being Evillustrator. In all the time he had been using that door, there hadn’t been anyone else in the alley, giving him the peace and privacy he was looking for. Not even Alix knew about the door or where it led.

“That sounds great. Lead the way.”

Nathaniel weaved through the crowd, heading towards the door. He could tell Reverser was close behind him, not wanting to be separated by the people around them. 

No one noticed as they slipped out the door. The music and the moving crowd gave them the perfect opportunity to disappear unnoticed, especially since there was a battle occurring in the middle of the room. When Nathaniel glanced to the people dancing, he saw Alix spinning on her hands as everyone cheered. 

The door clicked closed behind Reverser and Evillustrator, blocking the sound from reaching them. It was a quiet night, with a cool breeze looping around the alley and brushing past the dancers. Their suits weren’t made of the thickest material since they were designed to stretch and move instead of keep anyone warm. Neither of them minded, though.

Reverser reached up and took his mask off, letting the cool air hit his face. He turned to Nathaniel and smiled. “Now that you’ve seen what I look like normally, you should probably call me Marc. Nice to meet you, properly this time.”

“I’m Nathaniel. It’s nice to meet you, too, Marc.” Nathaniel gently pulled his mask off, shoving it into one of the pockets in his suit. Was now the right time to ask about the dance move or was Marc taking a break from being Reverser?

Marc stretched his arms above his head. “It’s nice to be able to take a step back from the dancing group, isn’t it? I probably won’t be able to disappear if I do keep dancing regularly, but I’m glad I know where that door leads. If I didn’t, I would probably spend all my time here thinking about it. Writer’s brain, constantly trying to make stories out of nothing.”

Silently cursing, Nathaniel realised that Marc wasn’t even thinking about dancing. He had missed his chance to ask him to teach him the dance move and probably wouldn’t get another chance for a while, if ever. Once Marc was swept into the more popular crowds, the only way Nathaniel could talk to him again was if they were both here by coincidence, or if Nathaniel followed him. “Yeah, it is nice.”

“Do you come up here often? I didn’t see you much in the dancing videos from this place, so I guessed you were doing something else or had left.”

“I did think about leaving for a while, but it’s hard to imagine what I would do with my time if I wasn’t here.”

“I can imagine. Also, do you mind if I ask you something a bit awkward?”

“Go ahead, I don’t mind.” What could he ask that would be awkward? Nathaniel thought he had already made their conversation as awkward as it could be before, but apparently not.

“Do you mind teaching me a few of your dance moves? They look really cool and I would love to learn them.”

Nathaniel barely stopped his mouth dropping open in shock. Marc wanted to learn his dance moves? He could barely believe it. After all, he was the one that won their battle. “I’ll teach you my dance moves if you teach me the last one you did earlier.”

“That sounds like a deal.” Marc walked over to Nathaniel and offered him his hand. “Should we shake on it?”

“Sure.” They shook hands, sealing their deal.

“You can pick a time and a day and I’ll be there.”

“Does Thursday at four work? It’s the first time I’m free all week.” Nathaniel hoped Marc was free then, too. Everything was working out great, especially with how quickly Marc had agreed to meet him somewhere else to dance.

Marc smiled, his eyes flickering over Nathaniel’s face. It was almost like he knew the impact his words would have. “Great, it’s a date.”

The words had their exact intended effect. Nathaniel turned bright red and his eyes snapped wide open. He didn’t seem to know what to say, instead just opening and closing his mouth repeatedly. Marc laughed and walked back towards the door. He held it open for Nathaniel, gesturing to the stairs.

“Should we head back inside?”


End file.
